The Great Lakes Region is the area covering in a narrow sense Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A wider definition would also include major neighbouring states in Southeast and east-Africa. The Great Lakes Region is in a state of 'sustainable conflict'. However, the origins of war and the actors in war have changed significantly over time. Today, the countries in the Great Lakes Region are confronted with a variety of protracted conflicts with different degrees of escalation rooted in the political, economic and ecological spheres. These wars and conflicts involve actors from local, national, regional and international communities. It becomes more and more obvious that both a comprehensive conflict approach and effective peace-building efforts are needed. Moreover, the peace-building efforts have to empower regional and local actors and have to be implemented as early as possible in order to prevent violent conflict escalation, human suffering, and expensive post-conflict reconstruction. There is an increasing need for civilian experts who are well prepared to implement peace-bulding activities.
